A Girl Out of Time
by SherlockHolmes1969
Summary: Hermione is at the top of the Astronomy Tower waiting for the 10th Doctor to arrive. Takes place in 6th year - AU. Contains sex scenes - rated M-NC-17 for a reason. Disclaimer: all characters are the properties of JK Rowling; and Sydney Newman along with BBC execs Steven Moffatt & Caro Skinner. No copyright infringement intended. Hororcruxes have been adjusted to fit storyline
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: all characters are the properties of JK Rowling, and BBC executives Steven Moffatt & Caro Skinner. No copyright infringement intended.

Hermione shivered slightly as the cold north wind whistled past the top of the Astronomy Tower. She huddled further into her cloak and wished that she could just head back to her dorm – her cozy, warm dorm. But she had made a promise and she always kept her promises. Her wild honey colored curls tickled her face as she scraped them back, trying not to sigh impatiently. He was late.

All her life he had appeared to her. He came at different times, in different bodies, but she could always tell it was him. He had even taken her for a few adventures when she was younger. Nothing very dangerous, mind you, as she was just a child then.

But lately, the adventures had started to skirt the edge of danger, even more than the run in with the Troll in her first year at Hogwarts; or the path to the Sorcerers Stone; or the rescue of Buckbeak and Sirius; or the encounter with the Death Eaters at the Ministry. It almost seemed like he was trying to prepare her…for something. She just couldn't figure out what.

There had also been an instant attraction between them, even when she was small – it was like they had recognized a kindred soul in each other. He had always been kind to her, listening attentively to her smallest concerns and offering what advice he could. He was her best friend and confidant. He was also her closest guarded secret. Her parents, Harry and Ron did not even know about him.

He had been pleased to hear that she had made friends her own age at school, but she thought she had detected a bit of concern that her friends were _boys_. He had mentioned that she should try to make a girlfriend or two, and had laughed heartily when she tartly informed him that when she wanted a two-bit piece of fluff with nothing but air between her ears, then she'd make a girlfriend. It wasn't that she disliked other girls, she just found them annoying – even the older girls. It seemed that all they were interested in was primping, giggling, gossiping, boys…and sex.

Hermione sighed; she had so many other more things to be concentrating on than such petty concerns. She was really hoping he had some answers for her tonight on some of the questions she had sent him; questions regarding souls, reincarnation, resurrection of the dead, body possession and prophetic dreams. Hopefully between them, they could help Harry become prepared for whatever Lord Voldemort had planned.

Pulling her cloak closer and whispering another warming spell, Hermione considered using the communication device he had given her to contact him. He was rarely late. She considered the possibility that perhaps he had run into trouble. A stray thought crossed her mind that maybe he had had a romantic encounter. She scoffed at herself and ignored the jealous twist it caused in her stomach. He was her friend, period.

But lately, her mind had begun to see him in a different light, and she thought that perhaps he was seeing her the same way. She remembered the way his eyes always followed her, how he never let her stray too far from his side, and that his touches had started to linger a few seconds longer that they used to. Hermione shook her head firmly and thrust the images and feelings away aggressively. 'I don't have time for this, not now,' she thought.

A faint thump caught her ears, and she sat up straighter. He was coming! The familiar wump-wump-wump of the TARDIS materializing filled her ears as she jumped up to greet her oldest friend – The Doctor.


	2. Chapter 2

Once the blue police box had solidified, the door opened and a man appearing to be in his early thirties popped out, looking for Hermione. He was of a medium build, about half a foot taller than she was, with short brown hair and piercing amber eyes which lit up in delight when he caught sight of her waiting to greet him.

"Well, come on then," he grinned, "let's get you inside out of the cold and warmed up with a good cuppa." He caught Hermione up into a tight hug and swung her around in a circle, before setting her back on her feet and pulling her by the hand into the TARDIS. "Lord, I've missed you, Hermione."

Hermione laughed, "I've missed you too, Doctor." She pointedly ignored her heart thumping from the close contact.

The Doctor led her past the control room and into her favorite places aboard the TARDIS – the sitting room. It was comfortably furnished with a couple of armchairs and a love seat, several crowded bookcases, a few tables were scattered about with knick-knacks on them. The crowning feature was the fireplace along with the thick rug laid before it. There was already a fire crackling merrily away and the tea set out near by. A soft glow emanated from the walls when they entered.

The Doctor chuckled, "She's happy to see you again," he winked at her.

Hermione couldn't help the light blush that crept onto her cheeks and hoped she could pass it off as coming from the heat of the fire. She smiled and announced to the room, "Hello, old girl, it's good to see you too." The glow intensified briefly before fading away with a soft sigh that was almost inaudible.

The Doctor grabbed Hermione's hand again and gently urged her to the loveseat, causing her to stumble slightly in surprise – they normally sat facing each other in the armchairs. He caught her and pulled her closer to him, "Alright there Hermione?"

Hermione swallowed hard as she nodded shakily. When did he sound so sexy? The fragrance from the fire coupled with the closeness of the Doctor, caused her head to swim; she felt off balance and woozy. He noticed her reaction to him and grinned inwardly – he had been waiting for so long.

He was outwardly solicitous – putting an arm around her to steady Hermione and helping her to settle on the loveseat. He brought her a cup of tea before sitting beside her and casually flinging an arm across the back of the couch.

Hermione was confused – she had never felt like this before. It seemed like she was off center and was bombarded with so many emotions that she couldn't keep track of them. She sipped her tea, hoping it would help calm her system; but instead it had the opposite effect. Her disorientation increased, her body felt like it was the wrong size and her ears started to buzz as spots filled her eyes. With her head spinning, she lurched sideways into the Doctor who caught her easily and positioned her so she was curled on the couch with her head on his lap and his arms wrapped securely around her.

"Sleep, Hermione, you'll feel better soon, I promise," he murmured into her ear. She could feel him nuzzle her neck with his nose and felt the warmth of his breath on her skin. She felt so disconnected now from her body, that all she could do was moan her agreement.

When she resurfaced to conscious thought some time later, Hermione found she was still lying on the Doctor's lap, his arm tucked comfortably around her as he gently stroked her hair. He was gazing into the fireplace with a far away look in his eyes. Hermione shifted slightly, content to soak in the warmth and comfort of her oldest friend. Her movement brought the Doctor's attention back to her. He smiled down at the woman in his arms, "Feeling a bit better, Hermione?"

She tried sitting up, but his arm tightened around her and she lay back down with a slight huff. "Somewhat I guess. What happened?"

The Doctor continued his ministrations for a few moments before answering, "Later, Hermione; I'll tell you everything you need to know, I promise."

Hermione huffed again, but secretly she was delighted to remain secure in his arms. His warmth surrounded her and she felt safe for the first time in months. She was content to shift slightly so she could run her fingertips softly over his hand and arm. When she felt the goose bumps rise on his flesh in response to where she had touched him, she felt a sense of triumph deep inside her – he was just as affected by her as she was by him.

Turning her head slightly, Hermione pressed a kiss to his trouser clad thigh and closed her eyes again with a soft sigh. The Doctor shivered when Hermione kissed his leg and tightened his arm around her in response. He inhaled the scent of her hair and kissed the top of her head before looking down the length of her small body nestled into his. He smiled, hunger glowing in his eyes for a moment. 'Not yet,' he told himself, 'her transformation is beginning and we have much to discuss before I can claim her.'

All these years he had watched over her – a guardian over the last descendant – waiting for her to grow and transform into a fellow Time Lord. They were soul mates and he could wait for her just a little longer – after all they had the eternity of Time to play with.

End


	3. Chapter 3

A Girl Out of Time 03

Several hours later, Hermione woke up in a dimly lit room. She was lying on a comfortable bed surrounded by fluffy pillows and a warm blanket. She could smell smoky incense that was helping to relieve the strange feelings her body was experiencing. It felt like electricity was flowing through her veins, while she simultaneously was too large and too small for her body. A rich baritone voice quietly singing a Ballard filled her ears and Hermione relaxed. The Doctor was here, everything would be ok.

Hermione shifted slightly, her movement alerting the Doctor that she was awake. The singing stopped, "How are you feeling, love?"

It felt like her vocal cords were raw, as all Hermione could answer was with a low moan. The bed depressed slightly as the Doctor sat next to her and laid a cool hand on her forehead. "Shhh, it's ok. It's almost done." He slid an arm under her shoulders and helped her sit up. Hermione felt dizzy, but before she could protest, she could feel his body warm against her back. An arm slid around her tummy and gently pulled her back against his chest. She could hear his breathing in her ear and couldn't help the shiver that ran through her.

His warm chuckle felt like melted chocolate to her overwhelmed senses and she sighed. The Doctor raised a flask to her lips, "You need some fluids, drink." She couldn't resist his command. The ordeal exhausted her and she floated away, as the Doctor repositioned them on the bed, keeping her tucked securely against him.


	4. Chapter 4

A Girl Out of Time 04

It was a few hours later that Hermione became aware of her surroundings again. She could feel herself tingling from head to toe; could feel her heart beat in tandem with another. She slowly realized that she was feeling two heartbeats inside her. Before she could panic, Hermione became attentive of the warm body pressed snuggly against her own and blushed at the intimate position she found herself in with her oldest friend. Her hearts picked up the pace as both adrenaline and arousal shot through her system.

The arm wrapped around her tightened slightly, and the Doctor murmured low and husky into her ear, "Relax Hermione, everything is fine. Rest a bit longer and then we'll talk."

She shivered and pressed closer, "You smell nice," she yawned before drifting off into sleep again.

The Doctor nuzzled her hair, a smirk in place as he whispered, "so do you luv, so do you."

* * *

Hermione sat up suddenly, her senses alerting to the change in room. As she looked around, she realized she was alone and immediately missed the presence of the Doctor. She stood carefully and gripping the wall tightly, she waited for the dizziness to pass and her legs to bear her weight. She made her way shakily to the loo, where she relieved herself and then took a hot shower.

It was when she stepped out of the shower that she realized she had nothing clean to put on and only a small towel to dry off with. Cursing her inattentiveness, Hermione decided to chance searching the room for some clothing, hoping to be dressed before the Doctor returned.

She was rummaging through the wardrobe when she heard a strangled gasp from behind her. Grabbing the first item – a white dress shirt – she could find, Hermione whirled around holding the shirt in front of her.

Before she turned, the Doctor had gotten an eyeful of her wet curls tumbling down her naked back; and his gaze drifted down to her pert buttocks, strong thighs and shapely calves. She was magnificent, and soon to be all his.

Hermione was about to scold him in outrage, when her protest died even before reaching her lips at the sight of his eyes. They were dilated with obvious lust and some shock at her forwardness in wandering around nude.

She also noticed his hands were trembling slightly, causing the tea set he carried to rattle. As calmly as she could, Hermione half turned away from him to pull the dress shirt over her body. It hung almost to her knees and she had to roll up the sleeves to keep her hands free. She didn't know it, but she looked completely delectable.

Once dressed, Hermione crossed the room, and retrieved the tea set before it crashed to the floor and placed it on a side table. Smiling hesitantly at the Doctor, she asked, "do you have my wand?"

Startled out of his stupor, the Doctor looked wildly at her for a moment, before stuttering, "I…that is…oh…here…" as he fished it out of a pocket.

"Thank you," Hermione reached over and plucked it from his hands, and waved it at the room. The bedding became instantly refreshed and neatly made; while a fresh scent faintly resembling pine filled the room. "Ah, much better," she grinned.

The Doctor flopped into a nearby chair and stared at her in astonishment. Hermione smiled genially at him, "I believe we have a few things to discuss."


	5. Chapter 5

A Girl Out of Time 05

The Doctor was still staring at her in wonder, when her words finally penetrated his awe-struck brain, and he kick started himself back into action.

"Ah, yes, we do have lots to talk about…hmmm…I honestly don't know where to begin," he muttered.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him, "well, a **good** place to start would be with the strange changes that happened to me over the last few hours." 'duh'

He looked pained for a moment, "yes, yes, you're right. You are aware that I have been visiting you all your life. Well, your family line carried the latent genes from a Time Lord…I was monitoring you to see if you were the one in whom they would activate…" he trailed off uncertain of how she would receive the first bit of news.

Hermione gapped at him for a full minute before hysterical giggles overtook her, "Seriously, Doctor, that's impossible…me – a Time Lord?" Her giggles died off at the haunted gaze that crossed his face. "Blimey, you really are serious, aren't you?"

The Doctor regarded her gravely, "I'm afraid it's true. The stories I told you growing up, the trips we took…they were all to help prepare you for your transformation. I must admit I was unsure of exactly when it would take place – I meant to tell you about it earlier tonight but the process had already begun."

"All right, I can understand your reasoning there. But what happens now? Do I get my own TARDIS and start jumping over the universe?" Hermione gave him a lopsided grin.

He looked horrified for a moment, before he realized she was teasing him, "Heavens forbid, Hermione – there is no way I'm letting you loose on the universe all by yourself! No, you'll have to stick with me…"

Hermione blushed, "…I was wondering…" she was suddenly very shy in front of the very attractive man sitting across from her.

The Doctor chuckled softly, "…yes, we should probably talk about some of the more…physical…adjustments you'll need to get used to." He gave her a sly wink, and Hermione's blush deepened.

"I noticed the double heartbeats…" she cleared her throat nervously, "…what other changes are there?"

"Let me see, we Gallifreyans are, on the whole, extremely tough and resilient – much superior to humans even at their peak. We can survive a fall that would kill a human, we can also survive both temperature extremes – have what I like to call a 'souped-up metabolism'. What else is exciting about our physiology? Oh, yes, we can endure electric shock quite well and exist in low-pressure vacuum for six minutes. Radiation doesn't bother us. Hmm, we don't need much sleep – we can manage on an hour if we have to. I must warn you about your left shoulder – there is a vulnerable nerve cluster there that can be used to disable you…" he fell into a deep contemplation then.

After a few minutes, Hermione coughed politely and then again louder when she received no response. "Is that the most important bits?"

"Hmm?" The Doctor peered at her for a moment before recollecting he was educating Hermione on her new abilities. "Oh…yes…well…ah…we are extremely long lived – the potential is there to live practically forever. Pretty much anything a human can do, we can do ten times better. Better senses all round, you see. The neat bit is that we can sense Time – the timelines, all of them; distortions and jumps in time; alternate universes and so forth."

Hermione stared at him, "…potential to live practically forever? I feel like Alice in Wonderland."

The Doctor laughed, "oh no, my dear, you…you are much prettier than Alice could ever be."

A deep blush covered Hermione's face again, "…please, no false compliments…I know what I look like."

He shook his head, "No, Hermione, my love, I don't think you do." He stood up and walked over to her chair, "let me show you how beautiful you really are."

The Doctor pulled an astonished Hermione up into his arms, and claimed her lips in a deep kiss, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing her tightly to him. There was no way he was letting her go…not now that he had seen her glorious body, tasted her sweet flavor not to mention that he had always loved her mind.


	6. Chapter 6

Hermione moaned as she responded to the Doctor's kiss, snaking her hands up his arms to wrap around his neck and tangle in his dark hair. She was in bliss, like she had been waiting for the this moment her whole life. As their tongues tangled together, exploring the others mouth, a trickle of rational thought broke through Hermione's daze. Reluctantly she sighed and pulled back from the handsome man holding her.

The Doctor refused to release Hermione, securing one hand in her curls; he pulled her back for another toe-curling kiss. He massaged her scalp with the hand laced in her hair as the other firmly trailed down her body, brushing the side of her breast and hip before gripping her arse securely.

Hermione resisted his advances for a moment and the Doctor squeezed her ass in warning to stop her struggles. He easily dominated her, as she melted into him. Desperate for air, she finally broke the kiss to burrow her head into his chest panting hard. She could feel him nuzzle her hair as he murmured, "You're my soul mate, love; we belong together. I'm not letting you go, Hermione; I love you."

His arms had shifted to cradle her securely to him. Hermione could sense his muscles bunching as he shifted slightly, and felt awe at how fit his body was. When she pressed closer to the Doctor, she could feel the bulge in his pants firm against her groin, and she let out a small whimper.

As the Doctor whispered his love into her ear, Hermione stiffened, and pushed back against him to stare up at him in astonishment. "You love me?" she couldn't make sense of it at first. He brushed a finger tenderly over her face, "Yes Hermione, I love you – almost from the moment I first saw you. I have been waiting all these years for your transformation, so I could claim you as my soul mate. My love is very real – it's not based on false estimates of your beauty, (which you are), or your character or even your intelligence – I know you bone deep…we have always been meant for each other."

By this time, he had maneuvered them onto the bed, resting at the headboard with Hermione cradled on his lap. "Sweetheart, I know this is sudden for you, but I know you feel the same pull towards me as I do towards you."

Hermione stared into the Doctor's deep brown eyes that now glittered with amber – she was slightly reminded of Bill or Remus, and realized that werewolves and Time Lords weren't that different when it came to claiming mates. She nodded slowly, "Yes, Doctor, I do feel the pull. I have resisted for so long, thinking you could never feel the same. It hurt so much to know you'd leave eventually and I'd never see you again." A solitary tear trickled down her face and the Doctor gently brushed it away with a fingertip. "I will never leave you. All the other companions were only ever temporary guests until I found you. Even if we somehow get separated, we will always find our way back to each other. You can put your worries to rest love. I'm here to stay."

She suddenly sat up, "Oh, Merlin, with all this transformation stuff going on, I completely forgot about Harry, the Horcruxes, and Voldemort and…and…" The Doctor placed a finger over her lips, "Shh, pet…I found a few useful bits that should help, and I'm staying to see this war through with you – baring the odd side trip to locate items we might need, I'm here for the long haul."

Hermione let out a gust of relief, "Thank you." She snuggled back into the Doctor's arms, "I love you too."


	7. Chapter 7

Gently stroking Hermione's hair as she cuddled into him, the Doctor reflected on how well the two of them fit together. Hermione had always been mature for her age and brilliant beyond belief. Well it was true that over the past 900 years he had had relationships and had even loved Rose, Hermione was his soul mate, and nothing compared to the contentment, the rightness of being with her.

But their time was running short, and they had plans to make regarding Voldemort and his Death Eaters. They also needed to discuss how to explain him to her friends. He knew her redheaded 'friend' would react violently – although Ron Weasley did not have romantic feelings for Hermione, he was possessive of her and tried to control all she did. Harry Potter was another matter – he regarded Hermione as family, as a sister and would not appreciate the idea that Hermione had kept the Doctor a secret all these years.

######################

The Doctor leaned down to capture Hermione in a slow lingering kiss as he brushed her hair back and slid his hand down to cup her breast the shirt (that was his) she was wearing. He could feel her nipple harden under his touch as he tenderly squeezed the soft globe. Hermione sighed into the kiss and shifted on his lap to straddle him. The Doctor smirked as he felt the heat of her sex press against his erection. He had no intention of stopping his ministrations until they had consummated their union.

Hermione's rational mind tried to rebel against the sensations flooding over her; but it was a loosing battle – her heart, her **soul** knew this was where she belonged. All outside concerns faded away. She knew they had much to discuss, but for now, all she wanted was to feel.

The warmth of the Doctor's hand on her breast and arse excited her and Hermione whimpered into the Doctor's mouth. He pulled back to trail kisses along her jaw to nibble on her neck as he moved to tug the shirt off her and Hermione willing raised her arms to assist him. Soon she was naked in her soon to be lover's arms. The Doctor nudged her back on the bed and hovered over her, "Hermione," he breathed, "you are truly exquisite." He left open mouth kisses across her breast, flicking his tongue over her stiff nipples which puckered further under his attention. He gusted a breath against her belly, which quivered slightly in reaction. He nuzzled her belly button, another smirk on his face. He slid his hands to Hermione's knees and pushed them on them firmly, "Open for me love," he commanded. She groaned in response as her legs fell open for him.

The Doctor wedged himself in, forcing Hermione's legs further apart; with his angle, she was unable to close them, leaving her sex vulnerable to his teasing. Hermione trembled as she felt the Doctor's soft hair brush her sensitive skin as he licked his way down from her knee to inner thigh on her right leg, followed by her left; avoiding the apex – the spot she desperately wanted to feel him feast upon. Her curls were neatly trimmed and glistening with her juices; the Doctor nipped and kissed all around the outer edges of her curls, prolonging her build up. Finally he took a quick swipe along the crease of her cunt with his tongue, he held tight to Hermione's hips as she gasped and jerked against him.

She shivered as his wet pliable muscle stroked and prodded, while his teeth nibbled on her flesh. He circled her erect little nub, biting and sucking on it, before moving down to thrust his tongue deep into her opening. The Doctor shifted slightly to splay one arm across Hermione's belly, and snaked the other down to thrust one, and then two and finally three fingers into her as he continued to suckle on her clit. Hermione clutched the sheets as she wriggled her body and thrashed her head a heat welled deep inside her.

"Ohh, Merlin…Doctor…Gods…I…," she panted as her body convulsed with the force of her first orgasm. The Doctor continued to thrust his hand and suck hard on her nub, extending her climax until Hermione screamed out, "Doctor." He pulled back after lapping up her juices, his face glistening as he grinned at her. He stood and began to shed his clothing as Hermione stared at him with half lidded eyes, caught between satisfaction, excitement, and apprehension. When he finally stood before Hermione nude and erect; her breath caught in amazement, "You're beautiful," she managed to gasp before he clamored onto her and claimed her lips in another deep kiss.

The Doctor prodded her opening gently to see if she was still ready for him. Hermione was still dripping cream, her thighs slick and her curls damp. He pressed his cock into her slowly until he hit her barrier, and then retreated to thrust again a little harder against her hymen. Hermione whimpered and clutched the Doctor's arms. "Shh, love, it will feel better in a couple of minutes, I promise. Take a deep breath."

Hermione gasped as he pushed forward, this time breaking through her membrane, and a tear trickled down her cheek. The Doctor leaned down and licked it away, as he settled deep inside her and paused, allowing her time to adjust to his considerable size. After taking a couple deep breaths, the pain eased, and she looked up at him, "I'm ok now." He brushed a tender kiss across her lips and began to move his hips to thrust deeper and then withdraw almost to his cap and then flexing back into her. After a moment, Hermione gripped his shoulders, wrapped her legs around his hips and began to match his pace. The Doctor kept a slow and deliberate rhythm as he slid in and out of her warm wetness. "Gods, Hermione you feel fantastic, so warm and tight," he murmured in her ear as he changed his angle, pushing her legs up to her shoulders and sinking balls deep into her sheath.

She cried out at the sensation of being filled completely; she ran her hands over the body of the magnificent man above her, pulling him closer to her. The Doctor started to speed up his strokes, and reached a hand between them to first tweak her nipples and then massage her clit. "Cum now, Hermione," he ordered as he added a twist to his thrusts that had her shrieking as he pinched her clit hard; Hermione screamed as she shook from the force of her orgasm. She could feel him pumping his seed into her as she continued to shudder as her drew out her climax as long as he could.

Hermione locked eyes with the Doctor, brown and amber blending together as their souls touched and fused. She was breathless from the intensity of her first experience with sex; yet the power of their soul melding pushed the memory of sex to the side. Sweaty and exhausted, the Doctor pressed his body onto Hermiones as he breathed heavily into her ear. Hermione stroked her hands over his back as they gradually calmed down, and the Doctor kissed her again.

They were now one and no longer alone.


	8. Chapter 8

Hermione woke up next to the Doctor, but in a different room; the bed was bigger – despite the fact they were tangled together in the middle of it. She was on her stomach with both her arms and legs thrown over his body, and her face was buried in his chest. His one hand was gripping her bum and the other was wound around her shoulders with his face resting on her hair. She breathed in his scent – a combination of old books, fresh mown grass and a slightly spicy fragrance that relaxed all her worries. She put all thoughts of Harry, Ron, Voldemort, the war, and school away and just enjoyed snuggling with her love.

A rich chuckle sounded in the recess of her brain, causing her to shiver and the Doctor tightened his hold in reassurance. _'It appears we have developed a side effect from our bonding that very few Time Lords experience – telepathy,'_ he told her silently. He turned his head to peer into her eyes. Hermione was speechless as she gazed up at the Doctor in wide-eyed wonder.

'_Wow…'_ was all she could muster, her mind voice sounding like bells chiming. The Doctor bent his head further just as she reached up for him and they met in a lingering kiss. He groaned as he hardened and rolled them over so he enveloped Hermione, and thrust home again. From the moment she woke up in his arms, Hermione was ready for a repeat of the night before. She gasped in satisfaction as the Doctor stretched her fully and hit her sweet spot. Within a few thrusts she was coming, she clenched hard around his rigid shaft and the Doctor groaned, "Witch." Hermione responded with a mental laugh that sent shivers through him. _'It's your own fault you woke up my desires, Doctor – I'm going to be insatiable now, you know.'_

The Doctor laughed aloud, "I'm sure I can tire you out," he pulled out, "hands and knees, pet." Hermione's eyes widened but she didn't protest and hastened to comply. He gripped her hips and sank back into her, earning a moan from Hermione. He grinned wickedly at the wanton sight of her, and reached one hand around to pinch and pull harshly on her nipples. Then slowly, almost tenderly, he moved his hand down to diddle her clit as he used the other to smack her soundly on the ass. Hermione couldn't help the squeal that left her as she reveled in the sensations the Doctor was creating in her. She rocked back and forth with the thrusts pounding into her and could feel her climax rushing towards her, "I'm close, Doctor," Hermione gasped; knowing he wanted to control when she came.

"Hold back, pet," he growled. Another smack landed on her backside as she groaned, fighting the sensations overwhelming her. The Doctor removed his hand from her cunt and snuck it between her arse cheeks to press against her puckered hole. His slick fingers massaged the pink rosebud before one was slid into her, to his third knuckle. "Play with your clit, Hermione," he ordered.

Hermione was nearly dizzy with the force of holding off her orgasm. She gapped in astonishment when a finger inserted into her arse, but groaned at how good it felt. When the Doctor ordered her to finger herself, Hermione hastened to comply. As she massaged and pinched her nub, body sweaty and hair plastered to her face and shoulders, she realized she had never felt so alive. She could feel the first tremors begin and she involuntarily clenched on the steel prick impaling her. "Please…Doctor…please…," she sobbed.

"What do you need, Hermione?" he taunted as he thrust even harder into her willing body. "I need…I need…let me cum…please…" she gasped in-between moans. The Doctor leered and his eyes glinted as he considered her request; he knew she couldn't hold off much longer. "All right, pet, you've been a good girl. You may cum." He wriggled the finger in her ass as he hammered into her, his grip on her hip bruising.

She stiffened before her toes cramped and she began to shake with the force raging through her; her ears buzzed and her vision blurred and then Hermione collapsed to the bed, stunned. The Doctor followed her body down, still thrusting as he looped his arms under her shoulders as he flexed hard into her. Hermione had passed out as her body continued to spasm as the Doctor strained to reach his own climax. He leaned forward to press his chest and stomach to Hermione's back and molded them together. As his ejaculation began, he bit hard on his soul mate's shoulder, speaking ancient words of binding, "Rydym yn creu bond sy'n clymu ni enaid i enaid, Yr ydym yn Immortal. A gall dim dorri'r bond rydym wedi selio," sealing Hermione to him for eternity.

* * *

A/N: I used an English to Welsh on-line translator, as there is not one I could find for Gallifreyan. The words of biding mean: "We forge a bond that ties us soul to soul, We are Immortal. And nothing can sever the bond we have sealed." Which I adapted from a vampire binding ritual – because to my mind, it came the closest to them becoming soul bound.


	9. Chapter 9

A Girl Out of Time 09

The gentle rain pouring over her brought Hermione back to consciousness. She found herself sharing a shower with the Doctor, who was scrubbing himself down while keeping an eye on her where she rested propped against the wall of the shower and the cool tiles of the floor pressed against her arse. When he saw she was awake, he moved to stand over her. Hermione stared up at him, struggling with her urge to immediately submit to him; trying to exert some semblance of independence it was with great effort she attempted to stand upright.

The Doctor chuckled warmly, reached out both hands to help her up and into a loose embrace; his stance of dominance immediately disappearing. They shared a quick kiss that quickly threatened to become much more passionate. The Doctor stepped back reluctantly, "As much as I would love spending the next several hours bringing you to climax after climax while screaming my name, (Thete), we do have some other business to sort out first," he growled huskily causing pleasant shivers in Hermione at his possessive tone. He gave her another kiss before turning them around so Hermione was fully under the spray. "Just relax, pet, and let me tend to you," he purred in her ear.

He affectionately ran his soapy hands over her body, lingering over her breasts and tummy as she leaned back against him. He sighed lustfully and moved on to wash her hair before rinsing her free of shampoo and body wash. Leading Hermione from the shower, the Doctor wrapped first Hermione and then himself in thick fluffy towels. He located a comb and directed Hermione sit in front of him as he carefully detangled her hair and twisted it up into a loose coil at the back of her head. He leaned down to kiss her cheek as his hands rubbed up and down her upper arms.

Hermione sighed contentedly and he wrapped his arms around her as they basked in the bliss of their bond. The Doctor finally straightened up and she gave a small whine of protest. He laughed and patted her shoulder, "later pet, right now we need to eat and make some plans."

After a hearty English breakfast, they settled in the sitting room, snuggling on the loveseat. "Ok," Hermione said, "what do need to deal with first?" The Doctor stroked her hair for a moment before laying his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close, "I have some ideas on Voldemort, but it will require tracing his movements back to his childhood. Between what you've told me and I've discovered, it looks like Lord Voldemort is really Tom Riddle, Jr. He became obsessed with becoming immortal and started researching some very dark magic rituals to help him obtain it. We need to be very careful around him, if discovers we are Time Lords…" he trailed off, "…I don't want to loose you Hermione, we will have to be extremely clever and subtle in how we deal with him."

Hermione looked up into the Doctor's eyes, and seeing the concern radiating from him, she nodded solemnly, "of course, love. I don't want to loose you either." She shivered at the thought of what Voldemort could do to them if he knew of their true natures and shivered in fear. She snuggled closer, slipping an arm across her bonded's chest. The Doctor wrapped his other arm around her and they held each other close for a few moments. Finally Hermione sighed, "What else?" she asked.

He released her shoulders and leaned back, resting his head on the top of the sofa and closed his eyes, "As I said, Riddle has been practicing some very dark magic; he has discovered a way to split his soul and store the fragments – if he is ever killed, his followers can then resurrect him."

Hermione gasped in horror, "That's actually possible?"

A/N: the reference of the Doctor's name as 'Thete' comes from the Dr. Who site called 'TARDIS Index File' -  wiki/Aliases_of_the_Doctor. Thete is a translation of the symbol ΘΣ and the Doctor has also been known as 'healer', 'wise man' and 'mighty warrior' but Thete seemed the most appropriate name to use in the more intimate scenes – more of which are coming up.


	10. Chapter 10

A Girl Out of Time 10

The Doctor turned his head slightly to regard Hermione, "yes, unfortunately it is. Voldemort has found an ancient spell that will allow him to splinter his soul each time he kills someone – he then uses the power generated from the murder to store that soul shard inside an object…or person."

Hermione went cold, "Harry," she breathed in astonished despair.

He sighed sadly, "I believe so…however, love, it doesn't end there. From the ripples in the time line, he's split his soul several times, not including the shard that sill resides inside his own body. My research found the objects are called Horcruxes."

She stood up abruptly to pace back and forth agitatedly as she thought furiously. The Doctor stayed silent, giving her time to process the information, and watched her in admiration as her brain analyzed the problem. Finally she turned to him about to speak, but flushed at look in his eyes. Momentarily flustered, she twisted her hands together, forcing the Doctor to reach forth and grab them, pulling her forward to stand between his legs. He looked up at her, "Hermione," he said softly, "we are soul mates, we love each other – there is nothing to be embarrassed about; there will be no secrets between us – especially as our bond deepens." He smiled adoringly at her, "Now, what have you come up with?" he added briskly.

Hermione smiled and leaned in to kiss his forehead first, "We need to find out what Riddle has used as his Horcruxes – and a method to destroy them. There must be a way to remove the one from Harry without killing him…there just has to be."

He nodded, "I know what two of them are and that they have been destroyed already. You spoke of a diary that possessed Ginny Weasley in your second year…it was a Horcrux and Harry obliterated it…do you remember how he did that?"

Perusing her lips together, Hermione searched her memory, "I think…" she said slowly, "…that Harry had the Sword of Gryffindor…and used it to kill the Basilisk…hmm…he said he was bitten with a fang which Fawkes…Dumbledore's phoenix…healed with his tears…wait, he used one of the fangs on the diary!" she smiled in triumph, "We just need to collect more fangs from the Chamber of Secrets."

The Doctor grinned at her, "Righto…how do we get there?"

Hermione's smile fell, "I'm not sure…Harry was pretty vague with the details of they got in. I was petrified if you recall."

A dark look came over the Doctor's face, "I do…you have no idea how tempted I was to just take you away myself…but I knew it would tangle the timeline up too much, plus you would never forgive me if I did." A lopsided smile appeared, but the darkness stayed in his eyes. Hermione moved closer to him, wrapped her arms around her best friend, and held him close, his face buried in her neck. She massaged his scalp and stroked his shoulders and back until his tension receded. The Doctor sighed and tightened his grip on her soft body as he nuzzled her silky skin, inhaling the scent of her.

Several minutes later he looked up into her gorgeous chocolate eyes, "I guess we talk to Harry," he murmured.

Hermione nodded in agreement, "Yes, I suppose we should. Now, what was the second one?"

The Doctor frowned, "This one was a little tougher to decipher, but I believe Headmaster Dumbledore has also been researching Tom Riddle. If I'm correct, he located a family crest ring that belonged to Salazar Slytherin from whom he's descended from. Dumbledore obliterated this ring, resulting in some damage to himself…so it stands to reason it was a Horcrux as well…they are hard to destroy and react violently to any attempt."

During her transformation, the Doctor had moved the TARDIS to null space; reducing the risks to her and allowing them time to make plans before returning to Hogwarts.

Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose and then rubbed her temple, trying to ease the headache she had developed. They had been brain storming for hours; suggesting options and picking them apart, trying to narrow down the best ideas on what the remaining Horcruxes were and how to approach Headmaster Dumbledore, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.

A pair of arms slid around her and pulled her back against a hard warm chest, "Hermione, love, let's take a short break and get something to eat," the Doctor's sensual baritone filled her ears. He walked them over to the loveseat where he settled Hermione between his legs as they sprawled sideways; he began to massage her neck and shoulders for several minutes, loosening the tension there, before sliding his hands up into her silken curls to work his fingers against her scalp. Hermione melted against him as her stress disappeared and her headache ebbed away.

"I think I'll keep you around just for the magic your hands can work," she giggled. The Doctor's hands trailed down her torso to cradle her waist as he rested his head on her shoulder, "Is that so, pet? Just what magic can I work on you right now, hmmm?" he purred. Hermione sighed, "as much as I would love to get all naked and sweaty with you, I need food first…I can feel my blood sugar dipping."

He stiffened, "Are you ok? I'm sorry…I forgot all about feeding you since we had breakfast." Hermione gave him a half-grin, "I'll be fine, it's not your fault luv. I could have just as easily suggested taking a breather earlier myself, but I got so involved in our discussion I lost track of the time."

The Doctor squeezed her close for a moment, and then turned her slightly for a passionate kiss, "I have a surprise for you…come on," he winked at his love.

Hermione's eyes lit up in excitement, she loved surprises. He helped her stand and then led her by the hand through the maze of corridors until they reached a lush courtyard filled with exotic plant life. There were cobblestone tiles covering the ground, small fountains were scattered about bubbling merrily, a waist high wall ran a meandering course around the courtyard and at the far end there was a stonewall that shone wetly as water trickled over it to pool in a basin at the bottom. Water lilies floated serenely in the basin, other greenery was crowded into urns and overflowed walled flower boxes. Gas lamps flickered softly, lending an extremely romantic air to the space. A table set for two was placed near the water wall and on it a pair of candles was lit; a basket of food along with a bottle of wine waited for them. Soft music tinkled in the background and Hermione inhaled the delightful fragrances as she looked around in wonder.

"Oh my. Thete, my love, this is wonderful. Thank you," she exclaimed and then whirled around to press her lips to his for a loving kiss. The Doctor took advantage to wrap his arms around her and deepen their kiss.


	11. Chapter 11

A Girl Out of Time 11

The TARDIS rematerialized on the top platform of the Astronomy Tower, tucked securely in an unused corner where she would not be easily noticed. In real time, the pair had been gone just under two hours, and it was approaching Hermione's curfew. However, while inside the blue time machine, two glorious weeks had passed far too quickly for the Time Lords.

Idea after idea had been dissected, analyzed and reformatted into a tentative plan of action. Their first step was to approach the Headmaster before heading to Gryffindor Tower. Hand in hand, Hermione and the Doctor strode towards the Headmaster's office. She was a little nervous they might be caught, but a mental hug and a physical squeeze of her hand reassured Hermione; she let out a deep breath and willed herself to relax, earning a wry grin from the Doctor, _'That's my girl,'_ he approved silently.

When they reached the stone gargoyle guarding the staircase leading up to the Headmaster's office, it only took a few moments work with his sonic screwdriver to suss out the password, _'licorice wands.'_ After striding up the spiral flight of steps, Hermione knocked on the door, the Doctor standing close behind with a hand on her shoulder.

Albus Dumbledore was slightly surprised at the knock on his door so late at night. He knew Severus Snape had not been summoned by the Dark Lord, and he was really the only one Dumbledore could think of that would be visiting him. "Enter," he called out as he seated himself behind his giant desk, and only just managed to conceal his astonishment at seeing Hermione Granger march in followed by a taller dark haired man dressed in a brown suit. The energy flowing between the pair was palatable to the old professor.

"Ah, Miss Granger, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit this late on a school night?" Dumbledore intoned seriously as he studied the couple before him. "And who is your…friend?" He was slightly alarmed that this stranger had managed to breach the wards around Hogwarts without his knowledge.

A soundless exchange passed between the two Time Lords before Hermione answered, "This is my oldest friend, The Doctor. He is here to help us against Voldemort."

Albus regarded her solemnly, "I think, Miss Granger, that there is much more to the story than that." He steepled his hands before him and observed his guests quietly, the picture of a wise leader.

Again, Hermione and the Doctor exchanged glances, something didn't feel right about their reception; but he shrugged slightly before turning to the man behind the desk. "I am a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. Hermione is my soul mate and we have bonded. Sometime ago she asked me to investigate Voldemort. I met with her tonight to advise her on what I found."

Dumbledore was briefly alarmed and then dismissed his suspicions; this 'Time Lord' couldn't possibly know anything that would either help or hinder his plans. "A Time Lord?" he inquired politely, an edge of doubt in his tone.

Hermione's eyes flashed and the Doctor reached over to squeeze her hand before answering the old Headmaster. "Yes, a Time Lord, and I know more than you think. I know that Voldemort is really Tom Riddle Jr., he has discovered what Horcruxes are and has created several of them in fact, including using Harry Potter as one." The Doctor was firm and unyielding in both his tone and posture, mimicking the Celtic warriors he had visited centuries in the past.

The Headmaster flushed angrily, "That's absurd. No one knows Lord Voldemort's real identity nor are Horcruxes real – it's a theory only. Miss Granger, I am most disappointed that you would believe such nonsense; I thought you were brighter than that." He frowned at the young girl, "Your friend Harry Potter defeated Voldemort fifteen years ago; he is dead and unable to be resurrected, no matter what the dark side claims." Dumbledore stood up and started around the desk, "Now then, what is this about you being bonded this man? He much too old for you, my dear…you are still a child…let me see what can be done to free you from him." He stopped abruptly as the Doctor faced him. While the Time Lords' face was impassive, his eyes glittered with power, and the Headmaster felt fear for the first time in decades.

"We came to see you as a courtesy, Headmaster Dumbledore. Hermione is of age in your society, therefore our bonding is of no concern of yours. As for the rest…well, we must have been misinformed. We won't take up any more of your time," the Doctor's voice was rich, deep and implacable as he faced Dumbledore. "Ah, just so you know, Hermione will be staying with me for the duration of my visit. We have some…bonding issues…to work out." He repressed a grin at Hermiones mental giggle at the Headmasters flummoxed expression.

Albus Dumbledore blinked in surprise; upon reflection, he decided it couldn't hurt to comply with this 'Doctor's' wishes – at least for now. "That would be acceptable," he proclaimed.

The Doctor guided Hermione away from the Headmaster's office, masking his unease. Dumbledore's words and actions didn't jive with Hermione's past reports of what the Professor was like. Deciding to alleviate any further suspicions the old man might have, he directed Hermione to return with him to the TARDIS, where they retired to the sitting room.

Curling up beside the Doctor on the loveseat, Hermione frowned, "That was most unlike the Headmaster – either he's been hiding his true intentions all along or he's being controlled by someone or something else. Not good news for us in either option."

Just then a warm glow pulsed, and the Time Lords stared at each other in astonishment. "Well, that certainly puts a new spin on things," Hermione exclaimed.

The Doctor hummed, "I've always wondered about the true nature of Hogwarts, but I must admit I never suspected she was sentient and linked with the TARDIS." Hermione nodded, "Well, looks like we're moving to the sub-dungeons then. We'll be more protected there anyway – I'm sure the Headmaster will be causing problems for us shortly." He agreed, "Let's go check it out sweetheart!"

He gave her a quick squeeze and a kiss before bounding out to the Control Room. Hermione laughed and shook her head as she followed him.


	12. Chapter 12

A Girl Out of Time 12

With a whine, the TARDIS dematerialized from the Astronomy Tower to rematerialize in a cavern deep in the bowels of the magical castle. Hermione and the Doctor stepped out to explore the area. They were miles below the foundation of Hogwarts which apparently had been built on top of a maze of tunnels and caves. The edges of this particular cave were smooth and the ceiling curved over them like a bowl, while the ground was polished stone. In the center stood a ring of stone benches made of limestone and within the ring the floor was packed earth, and there was a sense of great power in the room. A faint glow emanated from crystals embedded in the walls, providing just enough light to see.

A figure of a slim young woman appeared, long blond hair flowing down her body to reach the ground. She was wearing a diaphanous white gown that clung to her curves, yet still appeared to flutter from a non-existent breeze. Her eyes blazed the most brilliant blue from a regal face that conveyed her power. Her bare feet were firmly planted on the earthen ring, and she flickered in and out of their vision – she was almost transparent like a ghost, yet she was not one.

"Welcome, Doctor, Hermione; I am pleased you accepted my invitation. I am the Spirit of Hogwarts," her voice was erethral and echoed softly about them.

Hermione smiled warmly at her, "Thank you for having us."

"Please, have a seat," the Spirit waved a hand for two comfortable armchairs to appear. Once the couple was settled, they turned their attention back to the glorious form before them. "As you have seen, the Headmaster has abandoned his duty and no longer looks out for his charges. He has been playing a deep game to remove Tom Riddle and take his place as the most powerful wizard in our land. He then plans to take over the Ministry of Magic and rule the Wizarding world." The Spirit was sad her caretaker had failed in his duty, but was resolute in correcting the situation.

The Doctor frowned, "What options do we have?"

The Spirit pulsed for a moment, flooding the cavern with bright light, her anger with the Headmaster apparent. "Albus Dumbledore must be eliminated…he is becoming far too dangerous to the Wizarding world. His magic definitely needs to be bound and he should be exiled…he doesn't necessarily need to be killed, however, I fear that may be the outcome…he will likely not be very willing to abandon his plans of glory and dominion."

Hermione looked troubled, "That will not be easy to achieve, especially without bloodshed." The Spirit smiled grimly, "Professor Snape will be most willing to assist you. I have already laid the groundwork with him for you." Despite her qualms, Hermione chuckled, "One hurdle crossed; now, what about the Horcruxes?"

The Spirit laughed, the sound echoing hollowly around the cavern, sending chills down the couple's spines. "Yes, they exist – Tom Riddle made seven, although two have been destroyed. Doctor, you were correct in both deductions – the diary and the ring were both used as Horcruxes."

Although they had guessed this earlier, it still struck a nerve with Hermione and she gasped in amazement and horror, "Merlin," she breathed. The Doctor sent her a wink and a mental caress to reassure her. He turned back to the Spirit, "What of the others?"

With a smile that chilled them, she replied, "Hufflepuff's cup, Ravenclaw's diadem, Gryffindor's amulet, Riddle's snake Nagini, and Harry Potter. I can provide you with protection here, but more than that, you must determine for yourselves. Rest now and I will see you in the morning."

The couple stood and thanked the Spirit of Hogwarts before retiring to the TARDIS. Hermione could feel exhaustion creeping up on her and she stumbled slightly as they entered the Control Room. Without missing a beat, the Doctor scooped her up and carried her into his…their…room. After gently stripping her and laying her under the covers, the Doctor removed his own clothing and slipped in the bed to spoon Hermione from behind. Wrapping himself around her, he sighed contentedly, _'Sleep, pet,'_ his mind murmured to hers, but Hermione was already snoring softly.


	13. Chapter 13

A Girl Out of Time 13

The next morning, Hermione and the Doctor met the Spirit back in the circle. "You have a hard road ahead of you – so I am granting you the ability to apparate in and out of the castle and grounds," she told them before surrounding them with white light faded away after a few moments. "You had best appear for breakfast before your friends cause a riot. I would also suggest keeping a careful eye on Mr. Weasley's allegiances."

Hermione's eyes widened at that statement, and she was about to protest on the unfairness of it – out of reflex, more than disagreement – when she stopped and thought back over the years. She nodded reluctantly, "Yes, you're probably right – it just pains me that he might not be loyal."

The Spirit smiled sadly, "Good luck."

Placing an arm around Hermione's should, the Doctor thanked the Spirit and gently led Hermione away from the circle, "Come on, love, we need to get upstairs." Hermione sniffed back her tears and smiled tremulously at her partner, "Of course," she was about to apparate them to the Entrance Hall when she stopped and flung herself into the Doctor's arms for a fierce hug and kiss, "I love you." He reveled in the feel of her against him as her returned her affections. The Doctor smiled down at her, "I love you too, pet."

* * *

They appeared in an empty corridor just off the main entrance and strolled casually into the Great Hall, hand in hand. They wandered over to the Gryffindor Table, ignoring the curious looks and whispers they were generating. The couple reached the spot where Harry and Ron were sitting, whispering furiously to each other and heard the tale end of their conversation.

"…and Ginny said her bed wasn't slept in," Ron growled, "so where the hell was she?"

Harry frowned, "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation, Ron. She doesn't have to tell us every move she makes you know, yeah."

Ron scoffed, "Riiight…you never know what she might be doing…more like who…" his face red, Ron snarled his reply. "She's such a tease…I bet she's shagged half the school."

"How dare you say such things about your best mate," Harry protested, shocked at Ron's maliciousness.

Hermione had stopped behind Harry, her face impassive, but the hurt was welling up inside her. The Doctor slipped a hand to her hip and gently rubbed it. _'Keep calm, love; he isn't worth getting upset over,'_ he reassured her mentally, pouring all his love and pride he felt for her into their bond. Internally Hermione relaxed and returned his mental caress.

"Harry, Ron, good morning," she kept her voice light and unconcerned. Startled the two boys jumped and stared at her and the man beside her. Harry smiled and quirked an eyebrow in a silent question on who her companion was. Hermione returned his look with a lopsided smile that meant 'I'll explain everything later.'

Ron however, exploded in fury, face turning nearly purple in his rage, "Where the fuck have you been, Hermione? Who's this bloke? Are you shagging him? You're such a god-dammed slut. I'm sick of you and your secrets. I bet you're putting out for any bloke that asks. I can't believe you…you filthy fucking Mudblood…"

By this point the Doctor had his sonic screwdriver/wand out and silenced Ron. In a steely calm voice that did more to frighten everyone around him than shouting ever would have, he announced, "You will not speak of my wife like that ever again, do you understand?" Ron was now a sickly pale color and felt nauseated from the piercing stare that impaled him – the Doctor let the weight of his hundreds of years flow onto Ron who visibly shook from the unspoken threat. He managed a shaky nod before fleeing the Hall.

Harry however grinned up at them, "Wife, huh? I hear a good story coming on!" He gave Hermione a cheeky wink as she swatted him.

* * *

A/N: I have finished writing the story – now I just have to type it, edit it and post it! So there should be regular updates over the next few days. Thanks for all the great reviews – and I do apologize if I seem to skip over areas that are of interest to you and focus on what might seem to inconsequential – however, the events just kinda unfolded as is. I have other stories I will be slowly posting; some of them are very explicit and I will be using either Lumos (SherlockHolmes1969) or Live Journal (sherlock1969) for those ones. I'm doing my own editing, so let me know if you spot glaringly obvious mistakes (and not so obvious!). PM me if you would be interested in beta'ing. Cheers.


	14. Chapter 14

A Girl Out of Time 14

Hermione laughed at Harry's comment, "Yeah, but not until we've had breakfast," she told him. Harry shifted down a bit so there was room for the couple to sit beside him. They continued to ignore the commotion their presence had generated. Hermione turned to Harry, "This is my oldest friend and now my…husband…he's known as 'The Doctor'." Harry's eyebrows quirked again at the unusual name, but kept his peace, he'd hear everything soon enough.

Once breakfast was finished, Hermione led Harry to the deserted corridor and apparated them to the cavern. Harry was flabbergasted at this feat, "How?" he stammered. She just grinned at him, "Brace yourself for a lot of shocks, Harry," then she sobered, "Believe me, everything we about to tell you is the truth."

Harry stared at her for a long moment, "Cor, Hermione, what have you gotten into?" Instead of Hermione answering, the Doctor stepped in, "Actually, Harry, this concerns all of us, but most especially you…" Harry's eyes widened, but he remained silent, pondering their words and actions so far; impressing his friend with his newfound maturity.

Just then, the Spirit of Hogwarts appeared, "Harry Potter, we finally meet." The 'Boy-Who-Lived' nearly fell over in shock, "Wha…Who…?" The apparition smiled at him, "Do not be afraid Harry Potter, I am the Spirit of Hogwarts and I will not harm you."

Feeling overwhelmed, Harry goggled at them for a moment before sitting down hard on the ground; before he landed, a chair appeared under him, causing an 'omph' to be grunted out. Two more chairs appeared and the Doctor and Hermione seated themselves much more gracefully than Potter had. He glared at Hermione who just smiled sweetly back at him.

A ghostly chuckle sounded, "You do well to keep a sense of humor in these dark times, Harry Potter." The boy grimaced and held up a hand, "Please, it's just Harry. I'm not sure I can take being called 'Harry Potter' every time someone talks to me." The Spirit regarded him for a moment, "Very well…Harry." His mouth jerked in a semblance of a smile, "Thanks…I think."

Hermione looked over at Harry, "There's a lot to cover, so I'll just hit the high points for now and we can fill in the details over the next few days." Harry gulped, but nodded – Hermione was his sister in all but blood and he trusted her. "Ah…sure…ok…go on then." Hermione sighed and the Doctor reached for her hand, "Do you want me to start, love?" She looked at him gratefully.

The Doctor turned to Harry and began their tale. "I am a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey – it's located close to the other end of the universe. My people are now extinct as our planet was destroyed during the Time War. Your friend, Hermione, is a descendent of another Time Lord, and she inherited the right combination of genes to transform into a full Time Lord. She did this last night with my help. After her transformation was complete, we bonded – we are soul mates. You with me so far, Harry?"

Harry's mind was racing, trying to absorb all the information, and some of Hermione's past actions now started to make sense. He bobbed his head, "Yeah," a closer look at his friend and her husband sent a chill through him, "There's more isn't there?"

Hermione and the Doctor exchanged a look before Hermione took up the narrative, "Yeah Harry, there is…a lot more. I asked the Doctor to investigate Voldemort and he uncovered some very disturbing facts. Voldemort's real name is Tom Riddle Jr., and he has found some really dark spells. One of them is to create 'containers' in which to store pieces of his soul so he can be resurrected if he's ever killed. They're known as Horcruxes and we've verified he's made seven of them…" Hermione swallowed hard and looked away, tears in her eyes.

Harry stared at her and then the Doctor; "What aren't you telling me?" he demanded. The Time Lord looked old for a moment and he sighed, "There's no easy way to tell you this. When Voldemort attempted to kill you when you were a baby, he accidently turned you into a Horcrux." Harry was dumbfounded, he wasn't sure what to believe until Hermione wailed, "Oh, Harry," and rushed to embrace him. The teenager awkwardly patted his friend on the back, "It's ok sis, we'll find a way…I know you too well that you'd let a little thing like a…a Horcrux stand in your way." Hermione sniffed loudly and wiped away her tears, "Ok," she hiccupped.

The Doctor leaned over and gently pulled her back onto his lap, stroking her hair, "Shh, pet. Harry's right, we'll find a way." He pressed a kiss to her forehead as she clung to him. Harry couldn't help but smile at the sight of his sister being held by the man she loved.

He reflected back over what the Time Lords had told him – he didn't deny he was scared, he had a gaping cold pit in his stomach that proved otherwise. The news **felt** right, and it brought to mind the question of the Headmaster and his role in everything. Harry cleared his throat nervously, "Dumbledore…" he trailed off as Hermione laughed bitterly, "…won't be of any help," she told him, "we spoke to him last night and he denied everything. He claims Tom Riddle is not Voldemort and that Horcruxes don't exist."

Harry was shocked, "but what about everything he's told me about Voldemort and how he's convinced he'll return? Hell, we've faced off against him in one form or another every year we've been here!" He was starting to get angry, "What about all those dreams…visions…whatever? He believed they were from Voldemort?"

Hermione climbed off the Doctors lap and approached Harry carefully, "Harry…calm down…please. I'm so sorry…but there's more." Harry broke off his rant, and gaped at his best friend. "Sorry," he muttered ashamed of his outburst. Hermione smiled at him, "It's ok…it's a lot to take in."

The Doctor stood and wrapped his arms around Hermione, "Let me finish off, love." Hermione squeezed his arms and nodded. The older man took up the story, "When we arrived back at the TARDIS – my…our…Time Machine – we had an invitation from the Spirit of Hogwarts to come down here. She confirmed the details we knew of Voldemort and the Horcruxes," he looked over at the young boy, "She also told us that Dumbledore has turned away from the light. He wishes to overthrow the Ministry, destroy Voldemort and rule the Wizarding World, and I believe that he believes that he can accomplish this by sacrificing you up to dark lord."

Harry was extremely pale by this point, but he heard the truth in the Doctor's words which only confirmed the suspicions he was reluctant to admit he had. He nodded shakily, "I knew something wasn't right…but this…this just seems over the top…even for Dumbledore."

The whole time the humans had been talking, the Spirit had faded away to tend to other business. She had returned in time to hear Harry's last comment and floated over to him, "Harry, the Doctor is correct. Being what I am…I am tied to each Headmaster or Headmistress and can read their intentions. Dumbledore is no longer the wizard he was."

The Boy-Who-Lived let out gust of air, "Fuck…ok, what's our next step?"


	15. Chapter 15

A Girl Out of Time 15

That night, Hermione retired to the cavern and entered the TARDIS rather wearily. It had been a trying day; students and teachers alike were full of questions about her relationship with the mysterious dark haired man. Ron had started several ugly rumors about her which to her dismay had been eagerly embellished upon. At one point, Lavender and Parvati had pounced on her and dragged her off to the girls' bathroom for 'girl talk'. She had become so disgusted by the whole ordeal she had hexed them both.

The Doctor met her warmly, pulling her in for a deep kiss. Hermione groaned as her exhaustion disappeared and desire took over. She reached up to lace her arms around his neck and pressed herself close. He disengaged from their kiss and chuckled into the side of her neck, "Long day, love?" Hermione sighed, "yes," she looked up into his deep brown eyes, wanting nothing more than wrap herself around him. It must have shown on her face, as the Doctor smirked at her before swinging her up over his shoulder and swatting her arse, "I know just the thing." He ignored her squeal and tiny fists pounding uselessly on his back.

He easily carried her down the hall to their bedroom where he dumped her on the bed. When Hermione attempted to scramble off indignantly, he grabbed her body and tossed her back onto the mattress, "Pet, stay there or you will regret it." She stilled at the steel in his voice and cursed herself for the flood of arousal that washed over her. She stared back at her husband defiantly, "Why should I? Maybe I just want a hot bath and some dinner."

A low growl sounded, and before Hermione could blink, he had 'Divesto'd' her clothes, bound her hands over her head, and her legs were tied apart, each one to a separate corner. Hermione gasped, partly in outrage and partly in excitement, "How dare…" he cut her off by tying a gag around her mouth. He sniggered at her expression that glared back at him, "Oh come on, love. You and I both know you want this," his voice went deep and husky, "I promise you will enjoy every moment."

The Doctor drank in the sight of his wife spread before him. She was gorgeous with full breasts, smooth stomach and shapely thighs. Her wild curls tumbled about her head, spilling across the pillows. And her chocolate colored eyes were full of fury and arousal as they snapped at him. Even bound and gagged, she reminded him of a nymph, tempting him to ravish her.

He slowly removed his own clothing, one article at a time, never breaking eye contact with her as he did. He could sense her anticipation as he bared his torso, then his groin and legs; wanting to draw out her torment, he merely regarded her from his position beside the bed before turning and heading into the loo without a word. In the distance he could hear her struggles to free herself, but he knew she would not be able to break free. The Doctor gathered the few articles he was looking for and returned to his wife's side.

Hermione immediately stilled when she felt him settle on the bed beside her; he still had not said a word to her and a tiny trickle of fear ran through her. "Pet…" he warned her. Then he eased her alarm by running a hand softly over her curves up to her face where he brushed back some of her curls. "Stop fussing, pet, you will enjoy this." A blindfold covered her eyes and Hermione strained to hear or feel the next move her husband was to make.

A soft touch feathered over her body, tracing over her face down her neck over her bosom to circle her areolas and then slither over her stomach and sides to outline her thighs, knees and toes. Hermione shivered at the sensations cascading over her; it felt like he was using a feather to torment her. A warm rich laugh came close to her right ear, his breath coasting over her raising goose bumps, "Didn't I tell you that you would enjoy this pet?" His tongue snaked out to lick her ear as his fingers found her nipples and began to pinch them. "Hmm, you are so responsive love…so beautiful." He drew the tip of his tongue down her neck to the juncture with her shoulder, where he nipped her sharply before soothing the bite with a kiss.

She could feel the heat of his body as he moved closer to her as he covered her with touches and kisses. Hermione trembled as her body ached for release, the Doctor was taking his time exploring her and she was helpless to speed up the process. When her lover finally settled between her legs, she sighed internally in relief, hoping the teasing was done. However, the Doctor just laughed evilly, "oh no, my pet, we are far from finished."

There was a shift of his weight as he leaned over to pick something up from beside her. Hermione tensed in expectation, but the Doctor continued his unhurried ministrations to her body and she soon relaxed again. He teased and prodded her cunt with his tongue and fingers, building her anticipation; when she least expected it, he thrust a dildo deep into her, and used magic to lock it in place. Hermione arched at the sensation of being filled, but the Doctor used his body to force her back down and held her in place. He maneuvered over her so he could latch onto her clit with his mouth and began to suck using his fingers to pluck at her fleshy lips and trail down to her anus. A muttered spell set the dildo to vibrate and throb inside her, and the Doctor raised his head briefly to tell Hermione, "Pet, do not cum until I say."

Hermione was nearly mindless with sensation, and she wanted to thrash about desperately to ease the ache building inside her, but her husband kept her pinned in place as he suckled on her clit and abused her nipples. She could feel her climax building, and she cried out mentally to him, hoping for relief, but he ignored her pleas. He nipped her hooded bud as he slid a finger into her ass and released the containment spell on the dildo and began to fuck her hard with it. He could hear her physical cries along with her physic ones and knew she was close. "Now, pet. Cum, now," he barked at her. He watched in greedy amazement as his wife seized and thrashed against her bonds from the intensity of her orgasm. As he felt her peak fade, he ripped the dildo from her and thrust his engorged cock into her sweet warmth. The Doctor slid his arms under Hermione's shoulders to wrap them up towards her neck as he began to pound into her. He could feel a second climax hitting her, squeezing his cock hard and he groaned, "so exquisite pet." His bollocks began to tighten and he grounded harder into the delectable form below him. The Doctor dropped his head to latch onto the side of Hermiones neck and he bit down as his seed began to burst from him. Hermione screamed behind her gag as a third orgasm swept through her and she collapsed in exhaustion. The Doctor continued to lie on his wife, their foreheads pressed together as they panted heavily.

He gently pulled his spent cock from her body and rolled to his side; an absentminded wave of his hand and her bonds and gag disappeared. Hermione frowned at him, "you didn't have to tie me up you know." She was pouting; she had enjoyed the experience but hated to admit she was wrong. The Doctor just laughed as he gathered her into his arms, "Don't lie to me, pet. You loved it." He nuzzled her hair with his nose and grinned at her "harrumph." She would get used to his ways soon enough; but for now, he would hold her as they had a nap. Then would come a bath or shower followed by dinner. They would see what tomorrow would bring.


	16. Chapter 16

A Girl Out of Time 16

Over the next several days, Hermione and the Doctor gradually filled Harry in on what the remaining Horcruxes were and discussed their options regarding Dumbledore.

Harry was amazed by the TARDIS, pestering the Doctor with questions on how it worked, and the adventures he experienced. The Doctor finally threw a mock glare at Harry, "…and I thought Hermione was the one with all the questions," he teased.

Ron remained estranged from Harry and Hermione much to their relief; the pair had remained staunchly united in the face of all the rumors he had started, and they refused to feed the fire by keeping quiet on Hermione's relationship with the Doctor. With nothing substantial to sustain the rumor mill, the students eventually began to lose interest; even the Slytherins, outside of a few ordinary insults and sneers, ignored them.

One day during potions, Professor Snape ordered Harry and Hermione to remain after class under the pretext of questioning their assignment from class. He sneered at Harry, preferring to focus his attention on Hermione, "I understand we have a mutual friend who wishes me to assist you, Miss Granger," his silky drawl was tinged with distain. Hermione nodded in affirmation, "yes, Sir. It's a rather delicate matter, is there a chance you can met us in a secure location to further discuss our options?"

A tiny smile of approval ghosted over his lips, "Indeed, I do know of a location that would be…suitable. Are you familiar with caves, Miss Granger?" Hermione gave the Potions Master a small smile, "I believe so, Sir. Limestone is an excellent conductor, don't you agree?" To her surprise, Snape actually winked at her, "I will see you tonight after dinner, then. Good day, Miss Granger, Mr. Potter," with a swirl of his robes, he strode from the classroom.

##############

Finding a deserted corridor, the two students apparated to the cavern where the Doctor was waiting for them. He pulled Hermione into a bone crushing hug, "Cor, I missed you, love," he kissed her sweetly, mindful of Harry's presence looking on. "Any news?" he asked a few minutes later. Harry cleared his throat, "Ah…I'll…ah…just go start dinner then," he mumbled. He slipped into the TARDIS unnoticed as Hermione and the Doctor gazed deeply into each other's eyes, thoughts and emotions flowing back and forth between them. "So, the illustrious Potions Master will be joining us this evening, eh?" the Doctor chuckled. He guided Hermione closer to him as he led them to a secluded alcove, "I need you," he murmured huskily as Hermione blushed but nodded.

Once settled in the alcove, the Doctor began to slowly remove her clothing, drinking in the sight of her satin skin as it was revealed to him. Hermione wasn't passive, she was tugging on his outfit as he was undressing her. Managing to open his shirt, she latched onto his nipples, biting and sucking on one and then the other as her hands continued to yank on his clothing. When they were both naked, their hands and lips roamed over each other's bodies; Hermione rubbed against Thete as she fondled his chest, back and arse before taking his manhood into her tiny palms. The Doctor groaned in appreciation as he kissed every inch of skin he could reach. His hands weren't idle either, as they explored, tweaked, squeezed and caressed. He backed onto a convenient ledge and pulled Hermione up to straddle him; he slipped a hand between them to brush against her wet curls. As he massaged her cunt, Hermione began to buck against his hand, moaning his name as she began to climax.

"Ride me, pet," the Doctor commanded. With a slight shift, she engulfed his hard cock with an erotic groan. Gripping his shoulders, Hermione began to lever herself up and down slowly, teasing him with her pace. He growled at her, "Minx," as he grabbed her hips in a bruising hold and began to slam her down on his prick. Hermione threw her head back in ecstasy, her hair brushing his thighs, as she wriggled on his lap. One of the Doctor's hands left her hip to smack her soundly on her rear as he bit down on a nipple before suckling the pain away. An almost feral growl erupted from the Doctor, "play with yourself, pet."

Hermione shakily reached a hand down to rub her clit, moaning as her next climax approached. "I'm close, love," she gasped. The Doctor smirked at her as he spanked her again, "Beg me, pet," he demanded. Hermione groaned in response, "Please, my love…let me cum." Her husband just chuckled, "you'll have to do better than that," was his cruel reply as he nipped at her neck. She whimpered, "Thete…please…" He shook his head, "not good enough, pet." Hermione sobbed as she held back her climax, "Master…please…I belong to you…please…please Master…let me cum," she howled. The Doctor stilled for a few seconds as he regarded his wife. He redoubled his efforts, pounding up into her as Hermione slammed herself down onto him. With another resounding slap on her bum, he commanded, "Cum, pet, NOW!" Hermione exploded around him and her lava hot creamed coated him as he followed her release with a shout. The Doctor held Hermione as she collapsed on him, cradling her in his arms, stroking her hair and naked back as he murmured his love into her hair. After several minutes recovering, the Doctor moved a bit, tightening his grip on Hermione as he stood up and carried her dozing frame into the TARDIS for a rest.


	17. Chapter 17

A Girl Out of Time 17

After a revitalizing shower, the couple joined Harry in the courtyard for dinner.

"You are an amazing cook, Harry," Hermione enthused. Harry laughed at her, "Says the woman who can burn boiled water!" Hermione just rolled her eyes at him and stuck out her tongue at him, making Harry laugh harder, "Such a mature response," he chortled, "I'm sure you have better uses for it, eh?" Hermione blushed and threw a roll at him, however, Harry's seeker reflexes kicked in and he snatched it neatly from the air, earning him a mock glare.

Once they finished eating, the trio returned to the earthen circle to wait for Professor Snape. The Doctor had pulled Hermione onto his lap, ignoring her half-hearted protests to let her go. Harry laughed at them, feeling content despite the magnitude of the tasks that lay ahead of them; Hermione and the Doctor were family, and he felt at home for the first time since he arrived at Hogwarts six years ago. As much as he loved the Weasleys, even they had not filled him with such contentment as being with his 'adopted' sister and her husband.

A soft gust of sound was all the warning they had before Snape materialized in front of them. Unexpectedly, his normally stoic face softened at the sight of Hermione and the Doctor cuddling. Secretly, over the years, he had developed paternal feelings for the resident 'know-it-all' and he was glad she had found happiness. He inclined his head in greeting, but waited for one of the others to begin their conversation.

A shimmer to one side alerted them to the arrival of the Spirit of Hogwarts. "Well met," she chimed, as murmurs of greetings reached her.

Hermione cleared her throat, "I'll summarize what we know, Professor, if that's all right?" At his nod, she continued, "Ok…Tom Riddle Jr. is Lord Voldemort and he has seven Horcruxes – are you familiar with them Professor?" The Potions Master sighed, "Unfortunately, yes…pray, continue Miss Granger." Hermione swallowed, "we know that two of them have been destroyed. We need to find and eliminate the rest…except for the one that is in Harry – there has to be someway of removing it from him without killing him. Once that is done, we can then proceed with a plan to kill Voldemort permanently." She paused and looked at Professor Snape seriously, "However, we have another problem – the Headmaster. He is claiming Voldemort is not Riddle and there are no Horcruxes; he is also planning on becoming the Minister of Magic and taking over the Wizarding world…and that is what we know so far…"

The Potions Master was silent for several minutes as he absorbed this information. He had suspected Albus Dumbledore was a scheming old bastard – after all, look at how little concern he had shown in the past over Snape's own injuries when he returned from Death Eater meetings, coupled with the increasingly unreasonable demands Dumbledore had begun to place on him. Two of the most powerful wizards had long manipulated him, and he longed for some peace, to be his own man. Severus Snape had aligned himself with Dumbledore, believing him to be the better choice; now he wasn't so sure that there was a 'better' choice – he had not realized how deep Dumbledore's ambitions had run. He turned to the Spirit who smiled sadly at him, "I'm sorry Severus…it's true," she told him softly. Snape flushed in anger, "Interfering old bat," he snarled.

A laugh from the Spirit tinkled around him them, "He bound you unfairly, and with the deliberate intention to use and discard you, my friend. I can release you from your vow in such a way he will never know the difference."

Professor Snape scowled, "Why not before?"

"Dumbledore had not yet reached the point of no return, and breaking the vow before that point would have killed you," the Spirit sighed, "Now, Severus, give me your hand." The Spirit corporealized as she took Snape's proffered hand. "Severus Tobias Snape, your duty to Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore has been fulfilled; by the power of the Founders, I release you of your vow." A blue ring surrounded their clasped limbs, and then dissipated as the Spirit faded to translucent again.

Severus felt a large burden had been lifted from him and he appeared younger. "Thank you," he whispered. He cleared his throat, looked uncomfortable for a moment before stating, "So what do you need me to do?" He was surprised to see three grinning faces staring back at him, and he flushed, unaccountably flustered.

Hermione's grin faded, "Professor, do you think you can kill Dumbledore? It will need to look like an accident." She looked troubled, and the Doctor hugged her tight.

The Doctor looked sad, "A necessary but unfortunate bit of business. You've seen just as I have what the different possible timelines look like…if Dumbledore lives, even with his magic bound and exiled from the Wizard world, the future is worse than anything Riddle would bring." Hermione had an agonized look on her face for a moment before she hardened her resolve, "I know," she whispered.

Professor Snape gazed at them silently for a few moments as he considered the possibilities, "I'll take care of him; have no worries, my dear," and then he vanished.


	18. Chapter 18

A Girl Out of Time 18

The new trio – Harry, Hermione and the Doctor – spent time flitting from library to library as well as taking trips to the past to observe Riddle. They were trying to determine the locations of the Horcruxes. Despite the almost unbearable temptation to interfere with Tom Riddle Jr. and even Albus Dumbledore, the two Time Lords analyzed the timelines, resisted the lure to meddle, and allowed history to play out.

Ron had vehemently repulsed any attempts for a reconciliation from both Harry and Hermione. Fearing he was becoming unstable, the two students transferred any remaining belongings they had left in their dorms down to the TARDIS. To their amazement, the house-elves had discovered the time machine and had taken up an insane delight in sprucing her up.

It was three weeks after their meeting with Professor Snape that the Doctor, Harry and Hermione were sure they had pinned down the location of the locket, cup and diadem. They were still searching zealously for a way to remove the Horcrux lodged inside Harry.

To keep Dumbledore from escalating in his suspicions of them, the little group appeared at random meals in the Great Hall. They hadn't interacted with Professor Snape since their meeting, so it was with great surprise that he winked at them superciliously one morning, a faint smirk playing about his lips.

The Headmaster blithely carried on with his meal, only to be interrupted by an owl landing by his plate. He unrolled the parchment and looked disgruntled by the contents; sighing in resignation, he stood to make an announcement when he keeled over and exhaled his last breath. Shock rebounded through the Great Hall and several students screamed in terror, and chaos erupted as people fled in all directions.

Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey were attempting to revive the Headmaster to no avail. "Too many of those horrid Lemon Drops, I reckon," the nurse mused, "Must have caused his heart to stop." And so Albus Dumbledore passed away with nary a sound, and was mourned and forgotten in due time.

The trio exchanged glances, now they just had to deal with Tom Riddle.

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Over the next few weeks, the group acquired with agonizing slowness the remaining Horcruxes. The Spirit provided them with Basilisk fangs as she deemed the Chamber of Secrets was too unstable for flesh and blood creatures to enter it. As they rendered each Horcrux barren, inhuman screams filled the cave along with noxious fumes. The clever use of the Bubblehead Charm and several Scorify's later prevented any serious damage to Harry. Hermione and the Doctor's anatomy already provided them with ample protection.

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Hermione was curled up on the loveseat, flipping through an ancient tome that had been discovered during one of their side trips. She had been idly scanning the pages, not really anticipating finding anything useful when she suddenly sat up in excitement. Carefully re-reading the section of the old book, her hearts began to hammer with adrenaline; she had found a way to save Harry!

The Doctor burst into the sitting room, having been drawn by her emotions, followed by Harry who had seen the Doctor rush past his room. "What is it, love?" the Doctor panted, eyes bright with eagerness. Hermione thrust the book at him, "Will this work? I'm pretty sure it will…but…it would be best if you verified it," she was babbling but she didn't care – if this worked, they might be able to end the war with minimal casualties.

He scanned the passage intently, before pacing back and forth as he considered all the options. Finally the Doctor turned back to his family, "Yes, we just have to find a significant object to draw the soul shard into."

Harry gasped, "You found a solution?" Tears pricked at his eyes, while he was prepared to die to save the Wizarding world, he had secretly hoped he would be able to live…he wanted more time with his new family – his sister, Hermione and her husband, the Doctor.

Hermione was deep in thought, "Didn't he steal a mask – it had Salazar's mark on it – along with Hufflepuff's cup from Hepzibah Smith? That would work – Riddle is obsessed with everything Slytherin."

The two men grinned at her, "Way to go, Hermione!" from Harry and "Brilliant, love," from the Doctor. She returned their smiles and then sighed, "now we just have to find it."

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"It's late love, let's sleep on it and see what we can find in the morning," the Doctor advised. He rubbed Hermione's neck for a moment before scooping her up to snuggle into his arms. Harry smiled at the sight, "I'll see you two in the morning. 'Night."

Hermione yawned, "Sorry, 'night Harry."

The Doctor carried her to their room – the longer he stayed here, the more he was able to use magic – and Divesto'd their clothes before he nudged Hermione face down into bed. He moved her hair up off her neck into a loose coil, summoned a jar of vanilla and sandalwood balm, and began to cautiously massage her tension away. Sliding his hands up and down her back, he worked on the knots in her spine, neck and shoulders. Hermione melted into the mattress under his ministrations, as she was lulled into a light doze. When he finished the massage, the Doctor carefully rolled Hermione onto her side and cuddled close, adorning the feel of her naked body against his.

##################

The next morning Harry greeted them excitedly, "I know where it is!" He was nearly bouncing up and down with his enthusiasm, causing Hermione and the Doctor to laugh at his antics. "Ok, genius, where's the mask?" Hermione teased.

"Borgin and Burkes' – remember we saw Malfoy looking at it a couple of years ago?" Harry replied happily, they were so close…

The Doctor grinned, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go get it!"

Hermione groaned, "Surely they will have protective enchantments on it. Promise me we'll check everything carefully – and go back if we have to – we've come too far to mess up now because we're impatient." To identical pouts appeared for a moment. The Doctor sighed, "The voice of reason shall prevail…spoilsport!" he kissed her to take away any sting his words may have caused. Hermione swatted him, "Clown, ok, let's go **look**."

##################

They timed their arrival for afterhours, and scanned the shop for an agonizingly long time before disabling the protective wards around the dark magic store. The trio carefully approached the glass counter, examining it for the mask. "Here," Harry whispered, the shop was creepy enough in the daylight, but he hated it more at night – a feeling close to terror skittered along his spine, raising the hairs on the back of his neck and goose bumps on his arms.

The Doctor and Hermione studied the mask and the counter for several minutes, searching for any traps or jinxes. All they could find was basic protection and anti-theft charms. Slipping easily past them, Hermione summoned the mask, and breathed a huge sigh of relief when no alarms were triggered. She reached out for the glittering mask, when the Doctor stopped her. She was about to flash him a look of annoyance, but paused when he removed a silk scarf from inside his coat and wrapped it around the mask.

"Better safe than sorry," he said, "come on let's get out of here and have some breakfast."

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A/N: I realize that in "HP and the Half-Blood Prince" (ch 20) Tom Riddle took Helga Hufflepuff's Cup and Salazar Slytherin's locket and used both for Horcruxes – for my story to work, I needed to substitute another dark object for the locket – since in my storyline they already found and destroyed the locket. I looked up dark objects on the Harry Potter wiki sight and masks were mentioned being in Borgin and Burkes, and it seemed like a good fit. You will notice several similarities between the mask and the necklace that Draco used on Katie Bell.


	19. Chapter 19

A Girl Out of Time 19

Hermione was extremely grateful the Doctor had stopped her from touching the mask with her bare skin. A very subtle but highly dangerous curse had been placed on the mask – it was designed to work on the brain, slowly driving a person insane, while intense pain wracked the body at irregular intervals. It was a jinx that combined the effects of the Cruciatus Curse and the Jelly Brain Jinx together. She shivered at how close she had come to brushing against it. It had taken several days of research and a couple of conversations with the Spirit to find a way to break the curse. Now, it was just a matter of performing the risky ritual to transfer Voldemort's soul shard from Harry to the mask, and then destroy it.

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"You nervous?" Hermione asked Harry later in the day. They were performing the ritual that night at moonrise. Harry gave her a lopsided grin, "What have I got to be nervous about? Just because we're performing an unknown ritual to remove a soul shard from inside me into a dangerous object and then destroy that object? Really…what's to be nervous about…I trust you…" Hermione returned his look with a withering glance, "Harry, there is so much that could go wrong…"

Harry placed both his hands on her shoulders and his green eyes sparkled at her, "Sis, you have the skill and the power to do this. I trust you implicitly. You can and will do this exceptionally well." He gave her a buss on the cheek, "I love you, Hermione and I believe in you." Hermione's eyes were bright with unshed tears, "I love you too, Harry. You are truly my brother, I don't care that we aren't blood related." She threw her arms around Harry for a quick hug.

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At their request, Severus Snape joined them to help with the ritual. His face reflecting the seriousness of the situation, he didn't even bother sneering at Harry. The Spirit drifted into the cavern just before they started and announced, "I will assist. My place will be the West point." She settled there watching with some interest as Harry entered the circle barefoot and dressed in a white robe carrying the silk wrapped mask. He carefully unwrapped the dark object and placed it on the earthen floor; it was intricate in detail and lightweight, each filigree of leaf and horn was an open concept, delicately outlined in bronze and steel – the leaves brushed the cheekbones of the wearer with open eye sockets and the curved horns rose above the eyebrows. It glittered in the moonlight being filtered into the cavern; the mask was beautiful, haunting, and deadly.

Severus moved into the East position as the Doctor took North and Hermione stood at the South. Feeling the power tingling through them, the group began to chant together:

'_Powers that Be; hear our plea. Remove the darkness that dwells within.'_ The Doctor took over – _'We call on Gabriel, Keeper of the North; Cleanse the vessel before you.' _A harsh wind began to howl through the chamber. Hermione picked up the mantra, _'We call on Michael, Keeper of the South; Cast out the evil that is found.' _Cold blasted them, as plumes of breath came from their mouths. Snape then began, _'We call on Ariel, Keeper of the East; Burn away all impurities.' _Blinding red light filled the cave and Harry screamed as his scar burned. Finally, the Spirit spoke: _'We call on Raphael, Keeper of the West; Seal your vessel so evil cannot return.' _A roar of water reminiscent of a hurricane swept through the room, followed by an eerie silence.

They chanted together again: _'We call on the Powers that Be to chain this evil into the new vessel provided, that it may be destroyed forever. So mote it be.' _A clap of thunder temporarily deafened them and when the atmosphere cleared they could see Harry lying on the ground breathing erratically as the mask glowed with an evil red shine.

The Spirit of Hogwarts entered the center and lifted Harry away to recover. She said over her shoulder, "I wouldn't wait too long to destroy it."

The remaining three exchanged glances before Hermione summoned a Basilisk fang and hovered it over the mask. She took a deep breath and shouted, "Reducto" and the fang plunged down to pierce the new Horcrux. It was done…now, they just had to kill Nagini and Riddle, and the Wizarding world would be free.

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A/N: here is a link to the picture of the mask:  sites/default/files/imagecache/myfull_product/Moltinas_Tribal% . The names used in the ritual (which I made up) are of four archangels.


	20. Chapter 20

A Girl Out of Time 20

Severus joined Hermione, the Doctor and Harry for a final strategy session a few nights later – they had all needed some time to recover from the ritual. The difference in Harry was amazing to see. While he had not been sullen on a regular basis, he had tended to be moody, withdrawn and angry. He was now relaxed and genial, even Snape found himself reevaluating his opinion of the young man.

The foursome worked out a plan that was both simple and direct. Snape would retrieve the Sword of Gryffindor from Dumbledore's office and then apparate them to Voldemort's stronghold. He would use the sword to dispatch Nagini while the other three would seal the room. However, before engaging in battle, he would drink an elixir provided by the Spirit that would remove his Dark Mark, severing him from his fellow Death Eaters who would be extinguished when they killed Lord Voldemort. He could only hope and pray to Merlin that everything would work in their favor.

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They landed silently in a small anteroom off Voldemort's 'throne room' in the Riddle Manor. The whole dwelling reeked of decay with an underlay of slimy evil that made all the surfaces feel sticky regardless if they actually were or not. It sent chills through Hermione and the Doctor slipped an arm around her. An air of evil expectation clung like a spider web to the four interlopers. It took a few minutes for them to regain their equilibrium. Once Snape shook off his stupor, he quickly downed the contents of the bottle the Spirit had provided him. He grimaced, but made no other sign of the excruciating pain that coursed through him. It was with some trepidation that he peeled back his sleeve to reveal smooth pale skin – clear for the first time in nearly twenty years. Unbidden, a tear ran down his cheek – no matter what happened next, he would live or die a free man.

Suddenly self-conscious, Severus cleared his throat, and gruffly bit out, "Nagini should be resting beside the Da…beside Riddle who is usually wandering around his 'throne room' at this time of night, so we may or may not take him by surprise."

"Oh, I hardly think by surprise, my dear Severus," a cold voice hissed just beyond the doorway. Anger coursed through them – someone had betrayed them – they had been so careful to keep their plans hidden. A loud guffaw bellowed out, "You should see the looks on your faces right now," Ron Weasley laughed cruelly. He taunted them further, "My Lord has promised me I could sample the Mudblood before she's tortured to death – have to see if all the fuss about her is true." Ron leered at Hermione who just stared impassively back at him.

Lord Voldemort looked at the youngest male Weasley with disgust, "I believe you have outlived your usefulness…" Ron paled and sunk to his knees to plead pathetically, "My Lord, please…" but it was in vain. "…Avada Kedavra." In a blink of green light, Ron Weasley's lifeless body stared blankly at his former friends.

In the same instant, the group from Hogwarts scattered in different directions. Severus headed for the 'throne', the Sword of Gryffindor in one hand and his wand in the other – he looked like a god of old wagging vengeance on those before him. Hermione, Harry and the Doctor sprinted for the doorways to the 'throne room' to seal them.

A flicker of unease made its way through Tom Riddle as he suddenly felt vulnerable – his enemies were not attempting to escape him, but trap him inside his audience chamber with them. Then his mania reasserted itself and he shook off his doubts – he was Lord Voldemort, nothing could harm him, he was undefeatable!

Severus reached the 'throne' where Nagini slumbered, somehow undisturbed by the commotion around her; he raised the Sword and neatly sliced her head from her body. He jumped back before her spray of poisonous blood could splatter him. Voldemort couldn't believe Severus Snape, once one of his most loyal Death Eaters, had betrayed him and had now killed Nagini – the only being he held any affection for. "No…" he screamed, eyes flashing a brilliant blood red, "How dare you Snape…filthy traitor…I am Lord Voldemort…no one crosses me and lives…Crucio!"

But his spell never reached Snape as it was deflected back at his former master. By now, Snape had surrounded Riddle with Hermione on one side and Potter on the other with the Doctor across from him. They formed a loose circle around the evil being that was hissing and spitting so much like his beloved Nagini; they raised their wands as one, "morte aeterna" they shouted together.

A white light blasted Tom Riddle from four sides and he wailed, "No…I am immortal…I cannot die…you will…" His body blazed for a moment before turning to ash – a strong gust of wind slammed into the locked room to swirl the dust up into it before vanishing to scatter the remains of Tom Riddle over the Atlantic Ocean. His soul shattered and his body destroyed, Riddle was unable to reform and ceased to exist. Across Britain, Death Eaters screamed in agony as their leaders demise triggered their own.

Relief flowed over the group, and Severus made a very rare offer, "Shall we retire to my chambers for celebratory drinks?" The other three exchanged quick looks before coursing, "Fuck, yes!" With laughter surrounding them, they apparated back to Hogwarts.

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A/N: the spell "morte aeterna" is Latin for "eternal death" and I made it up! I like Draco, so he was not a Death Eater in my story, and as much as I like Lucius – he is one and would have died with the other Death Eaters.


	21. Chapter 21

A Girl Out of Time 21

It was a surprise when Severus announced that he had tendered his resignation; the Headmistress desperately tried to change his mind, to no avail.

Harry and Hermione finished their last year of Hogwarts, each graduating with high marks; as a graduation present, Severus marched Harry and Hermione down to the Ministry of Magic where he officially adopted them.

It had been decided their little family needed a long overdue vacation. Severus was looking forward to spending time with his new son, daughter and son-in-law. The day before the Snape family was to leave; Hermione woke up feeling sick to her stomach. Rushing to the loo, attempting to alleviate her queasiness, she began to count backwards; her eyes widened in astonishment as she realized what her symptoms meant.

Rinsing her mouth out, Hermione went searching for her husband to share the news. The Doctor was lounging in the sitting room, happy to have family around him once more. He was whistling softly as he regarded the Wizard chess set that Harry and Severus had left mid-game to go ransack the kitchen. It was then that Hermione burst into the room, blushing prettily – a glow shimmering around her. She literally leapt into the Doctor's arms; he staggered a couple of steps before dropping them into a nearby chair.

Hermione wriggled impatiently on her husband's lap, wringing a groan from him, "All right love, what's got you so excited?" She giggled and blushed deeper, "Well…you see…" tongue-tied, she struggled for words, and instead kissed him deeply as he pressed her closer to him, "Tell me, pet, before I ravish you right here, right now." Hermione sighed lustfully into their kiss, causing the Doctor to swat her backside and growl, "Tell me, pet." He broke their kiss to stare his soul mate in the eye; he couldn't get a clear read of her emotions which were bouncing all over the place. Sternly he gripped her hips to still Hermione's movements, "What is happening, Hermione? Tell me, now."

She grimaced; she hadn't intended to get him upset before sharing the good news. Nervously, she nibbled on her bottom lip, "I'm pregnant." It was nerve wracking waiting for his response and Hermione dared a peek at him from under her eyelashes.

"Are you sure?" he croaked at her. Hermione was now concerned that he wouldn't be happy with the news, he had temporarily shut down his side of their bond; she nodded hesitantly. Relief flooded her when he lifted her up and swung her around in joy. "We're really having a baby?" he asked, a huge smile on his face and the sitting room glowed along with him.

"Yes love, I'm sure. I cast the charm three times to be certain. You aren't mad?" Hermione was still uncertain he was really happy.

"Sweetheart, how could I be mad at the greatest news you could give me?" he enthusiastically kissed her, sliding hands over her familiar curves. He loved her more each day – life with his Gryffindor lioness was never dull.

End


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